


Supernova

by executiverebels



Series: When the Brightest Star Fades [1]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-06 14:18:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17346767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/executiverebels/pseuds/executiverebels
Summary: Order 66 happens, but Anakin doesn't turn. He now has to figure out how to escape without losing everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I have been working on this for forever, and haven't been able to get it the way I want. So I am just going to go ahead and post it. Hope you like it!

_PainFearAnger._ The words rang through his head. His head was pounding from the dark emotions raging through him, along with the sound of screams and blaster bolts. He had tried to save everybody; he had tried to be the savior of mankind, or at least the Jedi, but it turned out that he was not the hero. The Jedi had fallen at an impossible rate, him in the middle, able to do nothing. Younglings had cried out to him, Knights and Master’s alike were strewn across the floor.

Now, he was racing through the Coruscant skyline in Senator Organa’s speeder. He had to get to the one thing that broke through the darkness. He had to get to Padme. “Where are we going, Master Skywalker?" a voice came from the backseat, he turned around to see the two younglings they had managed to rescue huddled together and shaking.

“Senator Organa is dropping me off, and then he is going to take you two to safety," Anakin told them.

“What about everybody else?” The girl asked Kattooni he believed her name was.

“Honestly? I don’t know. I don’t know," Anakin said, darkness flooding back into him. He turned back around, starring off into traffic. He could barely comprehend everything himself, he definitely wasn’t ready to explain it to children.

They finally made it to Padme’s apartment, and Anakin was out of the speeder before it even touched the ground. Bail gone almost as fast. Padme ran out to meet him, “Ani!” she called. He swept her into his arms and kissed her, hard, allowing himself to hold on to her for a precious moment before he pulled away, keeping her at an arm‘s length. “Are you all right? I heard there was an attack on the Jedi Temple. You can see the smoke from here," she asked, her voice full of concern and confusion.

“I’m fine. I‘m fine. I came to make sure you and the baby are safe,” Anakin told her, prepping himself for the moment he had to explain everything to her.

“Ani, what’s happening?" she asked.

Anakin found a spot on the wall behind her to focus on, took a deep breath, and then started talking, “Palpatine is the Sith Lord we have been looking for,” he started, he heard her gasp, but he kept going, “A few members of the Council went to arrest him, and he killed them all. He sent clones to the Temple to finish the job. They slaughtered everybody,” Anakin told her, still not looking at her. He placed a hand on her swollen belly, relieved at the small kick he received. “I wouldn’t have gotten away if it wasn’t for Senator Organa.”

Padme’s face scrunched up in confusion/thought for a moment as she processed the information. She forced him to meet her gaze, “Oh Anakin, what are we going to do?”

“We have to get off world. Now. Senator Organa said he would wait for us at his hangar,” Anakin told her.

“Anakin…” She started hesitantly. She looked down at his hand on her belly and placed hers on his. “I can’t leave Ani."

“Padme…no…” he said pulling away to pace the landing, visions of her death swimming behind his eyes.

“I can’t do any good if I run away. I have to stay…at least for now. I can meet up with you in a couple days to figure out our next steps," Padme told him.

“You are putting not only your own life in risk but the babies as well. We have to go. We are going," Anakin told her.

“If I leave with you I will be a deemed a traitor. There is still work to be done in the Senate. I have to stay. I am staying," Padme told him. She made her way across the terrace to place herself back in his arms. “I will be okay. I will get in contact with Bail as soon as I can and we can start working on a plan.

“Padme... I can’t let you do this," Anakin told her. He met her eyes, his dark and swimming with visible conflict.

“I would be in more damage if I run off with you now. Plus, you have a better chance of getting off world without me," Padme argued, taking one of his hands and placing it on her belly. “Luke and I will be okay.”

“Leia,” He responded reflexively, a small smile on his lips. “I don’t like this, Padme.”

“I know you don’t, but it‘s our best option," She told him. Instead of answering, he placed his free hand on her hand and tilted her up slightly so he could kiss her. The kiss was hungry, devouring, she wrapped her arms around him, their tongues fighting for dominance. They both poured all of their love into the kiss, making sure nothing was left between them.

Anakin slowly pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. He allowed himself to stay like that for a few precious moments, committing the moment to memory, before bending down in front of her so he was eye level with her belly. “Please know, that no matter what happens, Daddy loves you. Also, keep your mom safe," he whispered, the words between him and the baby. He planted a quick kiss on her belly before standing back up. “You try to safe please?" he asked her, looking into her deep brown eyes, savoring every detail of her.

“I should be saying that to you,” Padme answered, smiling up at him. He pulled her back into a passionate kiss before leaving her and their unborn baby.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Order 66 happens, but Anakin doesn't turn. He now has to figure out how to escape without losing everything.

Anakin stared out the Tantive 4‘s viewport, Artoo beside him. The Senator and Yoda had gone to meet Obi-Wan, and even though he knew he needed to be part of the conversation, he couldn’t find it in himself to move. Instead, he stared out at the stars, the only constant in a crazy galaxy. They were always there to brighten up the endless void of space.

A familiar voice floated in from the hall, and Artoo beeped at him to get up. He made his way to the door, and it slid open before he got to it, Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, looking tired and disheveled. “Anakin! I am so glad you are safe,” Obi-Wan exclaimed when he saw Anakin.

“You as well Master,” Anakin said returning the sentiment.

“We were just coming to retrieve you, we need to discuss our next steps,” Senator Organa told him from behind Obi-Wan, always straight to business.

“Do we know if any other Jedi have survived?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Heard from no one but we,” Yoda answered.

“I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi temple. That’s why we went looking for Master Yoda,” Bail said nodding at Anakin when he said we.

“Have we had contact from the Jedi Temple?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Received encoded retreat message, we have,” Yoda answered.

“It requests all Jedi to return to the temple. It says the war is over,” Anakin said bitterly, folding his arms in front of his chest.

“Well, we must go back. They‘ll kill anybody who falls for the trap,” Obi-Wan said.

“Suggest dismantling the decoded signal do you?” Yoda asked.

“Yes master, there is too much at stake,” Obi-Wan answered.

“We will leave first thing in the morning then. We all need some rest,” Bail said.

“In the morning then,” Obi-Wan responded.

X

Once morning came, the four men got in the small shuttle attached to the Tantive and made their journey back to Coruscant. While rest had been the plan, none of them looked any better than they had the night before, and Anakin knew for a fact that he had gotten no sleep, and doubted anyone else had either.

“We are receiving a message from the Chancellor‘s Office, sir," The pilot of the shuttle said as they entered Coruscant‘s atmosphere.

“Let it through," Bail answered.

The pilot hit a few buttons and Mas Amedda‘s face appeared on the small screen in front of Bail, “Senator Organa, the Supreme Chancellor requests your presence at a special session of Congress.”

“I will be there,” Bail acknowledged.

“He’ll be expecting you,” he said, and the transmission shut off.

“Could be a trap," Bail offered the group.

“I don‘t think so. The Chancellor won‘t be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact," Obi-Wan answered.

“If a special session of Congress there is, easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be,” Yoda said.

X

The three Jedi made quick work of the clones guarding the Temple. There had been plenty, and they had to hope that the session of Congress would stall the reinforcements long enough for them to get everything done. They made their way up the stairs to the Temple, and Anakin could feel the darkness coming off the Temple in waves, and when they stepped through the door they were assaulted by the remnants of the day before. The darkness hit them like a wall, the smell of the death was papable, and bodies thrown everywhere, haphazardly. All light snuffed out. _PAINFEARANGER._ Anakin closed his eyes and willed the darkness away, but the light couldn‘t get through. He pressed on.

Obi-Wan bent down to investigate one of the bodies, but Anakin couldn’t focus on anything but the darkness inside him. How close had Palpatine been too convincing him that he was on the wrong side? How close had he been to the destroyer instead of the savior? Not that he was doing a great job of the latter. “Not even the younglings survived,” Obi-Wan said solemnly, bring Anakin back to reality.

“Who could have done this?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Clones,” Anakin answered solemnly. He was thankful that Fives had warned them about the control chips, he could barely handle the thought of the clones being forced to commit these atrocities, but the thought of them wanting to do it hurt much more. “We can‘t deal with that right now though. We need to get working before reinforcements arrive.” Obi-Wan gave a stiff nod before starting to work on the recall code, while Anakin plunged himself back into the force, looking for survivors. He swore he could feel the tiniest speckle of light in the darkness.

“Someone here, there is,” Yoda said thoughtfully.

“I feel it too. We should go look for them,” Anakin agreed. The pair made their way through the temple. It wasn’t a particularly long walk, but making the trip through the darkness, and the horrors next to Master Yoda was more awkward than it should have been. He was thankful that Master Yoda survived, the remaining Jedi would need him, but Anakin wasn’t ready to face his own sins yet.

“Pleased that you survived, I am,” Yoda told him, the sincerity surprising Anakin.

“I am glad you survived as well, Master Yoda,” Anakin told him, stepping over body after body just to get through the hall. He noticed that they were getting closer and closer to the Vaults as they kept walking. Whoever it was must have been hiding in there.  
When they finally made it to the vaults, Yoda started to tap away on one of the computer terminals. Anakin tried to feel for who was out there, but he couldn’t get much of a reading, and before he could sense anything, Yoda was placing his palm on the screen, and the door slid open, revealing Shaak-Ti. She was standing in a defensive pose, lightsaber ready, while four younglings sat curled up in the corner. “Master Yoda? Skywalker?” she asked surprised, letting her pose fall. She transformed from a total badass ready to take on the world, to a scared and disheveled victim.

“Come on, we need to get you out of here, all of you,” Anakin said motioning for her to follow them. The four younglings all looked up at her for guidance, she gave them a quick nod and she and younglings joined Anakin and Yoda on their way back to Obi-Wan.

\------------

 

“I have recalibrated the code, warning all Jedi to stay away,” Obi-Wan informed them once they returned.

“For the clones to discover the recalibration, a long time it will take," Yoda responded.

“If ever," Anakin said. “We need to get going though, reinforcements could arrive at any time, and now we have four children with us,” he motioned to the four children, the older two were standing tall, trying to be brave, while the youngest two clung to Shaak-Ti‘s robes.

The group made their way out of the Temple, no clones in sight. They rounded the corner making their way toward their transport. Anakin pulled Obi-Wan aside, letting everybody go ahead. Obi-Wan gave him a questioning look, but Anakin started talking before giving him the chance to argue, “I need you and the other to go ahead. I need to go back for Padme,” he said.

“Anakin, no,” Obi-Wan protested. “We need to stick together. Plus, Padme is better off not being seen with any of us."

“Leaving her here is not an option,” Anakin growled. Obi-Wan studied Anakin for a moment, Anakin knew realistically that Obi-Wan probably had an idea about his relationship with Padme, but he still wasn’t thrilled about the idea of having to be upfront with him about it.

“Anakin, the survival of the Jedi has to be our priority. I know Padme is important to you, but she will be fine on Coruscant, nobody has any reason to harm her.”

“Padme is my priority, and there are plenty of reasons for people to want to harm her," Anakin said darkly.

“Anakin, you can’t go running to her apartment half-cocked. We need to regroup and think through a plan, and make sure we keep her as safe as possible," Obi-Wan told him.

“I don‘t know…” Anakin said, unsure. Actually making a plan was not his usual way of doing things, but maybe he needed to actually think this through instead of running in there lightsaber blazing.

“Come on, we will discuss it once we get to safety," Obi-Wan said, not letting him respond and turning towards the transport, allowing Anakin to either follow him or leave. Anakin followed.


	3. Chapter 3

Waiting was not Anakin Skywalker’s specialty. Once they had regrouped on the Tantive 4, he had begrudgingly agreed that for her safety, Padme should have no contact with any Jedi. Bail had gone to Padme’s apartment after the Senate hearing, and they had made a plan for Captain Typho to escort her to them as soon as night fell, and while Anakin trusted Typho completely, he still wished it had been him.  

Now, he was forced to sit and do nothing while visions of Padme‘s death swam in his head. How could he save her if he wasn’t by her side? “She is going to be okay. You know that right?" Anakin looked up to see Obi-Wan leaning against the doorway to the small conference room.

“I don’t know that," he said darkly, looking down at his hands. If he told Obi-Wan about his dreams, he would be telling him about his relationship with Padme. He didn’t like the thought of him knowing, but it wasn’t like the Jedi Order could disown him now. “I have been having nightmares, like the ones I had about my mother.” He did not look up, he could not face the disappointing look on Obi-Wan‘s face.

 “What are the dreams about?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin was caught off guard by the question, he expected him to say he was ridiculous, that his fears were unwarranted, or something along those lines, but when Anakin looked up at him, he seemed genuinely concerned.

 “Padme, dying in childbirth," Anakin said, looking back down, shifting uncomfortably. Saying the words did not help his paranoia.

Obi-Wan didn’t say anything at first but took a seat beside him at the table. He moved his hand as if he was about to pat Anakin’s back or perform some other act of comfort, but he put it back on the table, interlinking with his other, “Anakin, are you the father?”

There it was. The question he had been dreading since the moment Padme had told him. He was genuinely excited about the baby, for a little being who was half him and half Padme. He was excited to start on this new journey with Padme, to settle down once the war had concluded, though he had no idea what would happen now. Anakin took a deep breath, and then chickened out and simply nodded.

“There is always the possibility that the dream is just a dream, nothing more," Obi-Wan told him, moving on from the father question, giving him instead, the words everybody seemed to need to tell him. He knew the truth, the false sentiments didn’t help anything.

“It‘s not just a dream,” Anakin said evenly. He would not allow himself to show these emotions in front of his master. Thankfully Obi-Wan did not argue. He had learned through the years that arguing with Anakin once his mind was made was useless, and had only gotten worst once Ahsoka had joined their group.

“Well, I hope you are wrong," Obi-Wan told him. “Also, I wanted to let you know we got a short transmission from Typho saying they are on their way to the rendezvous. We are on route now.”

“Okay," Anakin nodded. “Have we gotten word from anybody else?" He tried his best to make the question broad. He cared about all of his brothers and sisters in the Order, but it wasn’t hard to guess who he meant.

“We haven‘t heard from her. The only good news is that Rex removed his chip. She wouldn’t have been alone," Obi-Wan said, filling Anakin with relief. He didn’t know if he could handle anything happening to Ahsoka, but especially not at Rex’s hands.

 The pair sat in awkward silence. So much had happened over the last few weeks, events that had put distance between them. Anakin wanted to tell him everything, about Palpatine being able to save Padme, about how close he had been to falling. He wanted to tell him how nervous he was about being a father, and how he wanted Obi-Wan to be around to see her grow up, but the words didn’t leave his lips. Instead, he opened up in the force and felt Obi-Wan do the same. It didn’t portray everything, but he could feel the anxiety, the fear rolling off of Obi-Wan, emotions he wasn’t used to Obi-Wan having. He could feel the genuine relief for his own safety, and the lack of judgment about Padme. After a few quiet moments, Obi-Wan put a comforting hand on Anakin‘s shoulder. 

X

They sat like that for a while, just enjoying the other’s presence without having to say all of the pesky words, until Bail knocked lightly on the open door frame, “Sorry for the interruption, but Captain Typho has landed," Bail told them. Anakin was on his feet and blowing past Bail before Obi-Wan had even stood, though Bail and Obi-Wan were not far behind him. His feet touched the surface of the asteroid in time to see Typho walking down the ramp of Padme‘s ship, cradling Padme in his arms.

“What happened?" Anakin demanded, taking his wife into his own arms. He heard Bail say something about a medical center and followed him past the ship.

“We were almost free, but they restricted all access on and off-world. We were met at the hangar by a group of clones, all accusing Padme of sedition, weapons raised. We fought our way to the ship and had almost made it when a shot caught her in the chest. The medical droid on board get her as patched up as possible, but the ship didn’t have the resources to take care of this.

Anakin tried to process everything Typho said, the group still rushing to the medical center, but all he could hear was Padme’s cries, and Palpatine telling him that Plagueis knew how to save people from death over and over and over again. “Ani.” He looked down at Padme and met her chocolate eyes. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion and she seemed to be struggling to focus. “What’s going on?"

“You‘re hurt. We are getting help,” he told her, trying to stay calm, radiating calm and peace in the force as best he could. They made it to the small medical facility, her fading out of consciousness before he could say much else. She was taken away, changed and laid out on a table, a medical droid moving around her, scanning and running tests.

After a moment, the droid left its station with Padme to come talk to them, Anakin, Bail Obi-Wan and Yoda all standing outside the room. “Her body is not handling the stress well. The blaster bolt punctured one of her lungs, which usually isn’t fatal, but with the lack of immediate care, and the stress causing her to go into labor, I don’t know that she could handle everything that will need to be done,” the droid informed them. Anakin let the words sink in. His dream was coming true right there and then. This was not how he had imagined it happening, but it was happening nonetheless.

“Is there nothing that can be done to postpone labor?” Obi-Wan asked from beside Anakin.

“No I am afraid we need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies," the droid said.

“Babies?” Anakin sputtered. Those words alone striking through all of his other issues. Babies. Plural. As if bringing one baby into this hell hole wasn’t enough.

“She is carrying twins," the droid answered.


	4. Chapter 4

The medical droid had done all it could for Padme. It had given her a bacta shot that was supposed to help heal up the hole, though they were afraid that it had already filled up with too much fluid, at it least it wouldn‘t get worse, and she was much more alert. Anakin had been allowed to tell her that they were having twins. Her reaction had been similar to his, though she turned happier much faster than he had. They had decided that they must have both been right about the gender, and she would have her little Luke and we would have his little Leia.

“I hate that I haven‘t been able to set up the nursery yet. I was going to go at the end of the week," Padme told him, trying to get her mind off of her last bad batch of contractions.

“Well it‘s not like we can go to Naboo now anyway," Anakin told her. She shot him a look in return. “The most sought after Jedi and his two newborn babies can‘t live on the Emperor‘s homeworld. Naboo is the first place he would look." Padme seemed to consider his words for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something when another wave of contractions hit her, the room filling with her screams, his vision flooding his brain.

He held her hand and tried to send calming waves to her, but his vision was making it hard. After a few moments though she collapsed back against the table, covered in sweat, hair sticking in every direction, and breathing heavy. He didn’t think she had ever been more beautiful. “Well. Where. Do you suggest we go?” She said, deep breaths between words.

“Let‘s just get through this part, for now, Padme,” he told her, squeezing her hand gently.

“I am not going to die," she said sternly. “I can go into surgery shortly after the twins are born. It will be okay." He looked away, he couldn’t do this right now, but he needed to be strong for her. He looked back at her, into her beautiful eyes and he saw she didn’t even truly believe the words, and he could see the strain the situation was putting on her, both physically and emotionally.

 

“We’ll get through this,” he told her, flashing her a grin that he hoped looked sincere, and was rewarded with a soft smile in return. 

X

After approximately 6 hours of torture, being forced to hear her scream and cry as their children tried to find their way out of her, he was finally rewarded with the magic words, “It’s time." Padme simple nodded at the words and took a moment to ready her self, taking a deep breath and one more look at him, before the pushing began. He tried to be comforting, to coach her through everything, but he didn’t think he was helping much. The crying, the screams, and the grunting got worst, and he wasn’t sure how much he could take. He was almost at his breaking point when the room was filled with an infant's cry. 

Anakin felt a surge of emotions run through him as the medical droid placed the small, messy being into his arms, and when the crying quickly stopped, he knew he was in trouble. “It’s a boy,” he told Padme, bringing him closer so that she could see him, the most perfect little thing he had ever seen. 

“Luke," Padme said, smiling softly at the baby, Luke, running the back of her index finger along his cheek. She took a precious moment to appreciate her new son before she was pulled back into the pain. The grunting, crying and screaming starting back up, Anakin even less help now that he was distracted by the infant in his arms. To him the time felt like nothing at all before the room was once again filled with the sound of a crying infant, this one much louder than the first one.

Anakin looked over at the new baby, already kicking and screaming, demanding to be noticed, and heard the droid tell him the best news he had ever heard, “It’s a girl,” he told Padme.

“Leia,” she said fondly this time smiling at him instead of the baby, he couldn’t help but smile back at her, the fate looming over them almost forgotten. He handed Luke to Padme and took Leia from the medical droid, and collapsed in the chair beside the table. He could see the others outside the door, but he wasn’t ready for them yet. 

The twins settled into their parent's arms, seeming happier when they spoke to them, recognizing the voices they had heard in the womb. “They are perfect,” Padme told him, not even looking up from the baby in her arms. 

“Well, they have the perfect mother, so I am not surprised," Anakin told her, flashing her a cheeky smile. She smiled softly back at him, but her face turned serious. 

“Anakin, I need you to promise me something," Padme told him, looking back at Luke in her arms. 

“Anything, my love," Anakin answered, and he meant it, he would do anything for her, even if he didn’t like where this was going. 

“No matter what happens to me, I need you to take care of both them and yourself. If I don‘t make it through this, I need to know that you will all be safe. You can’t lose yourself over this, somebody needs to be there for them," she said seriously, drawing her eyes away from Luke again to look at him. 

“Let‘s just focus on getting you healthy," Anakin answered, not sure he could promise her that.

“Anakin. Promise me," she said. He met her eyes and was overwhelmed by the desperation he saw.

“I promise,” he said, hoping it was a promise he could keep.

X

After Padme had a moment to recover from giving birth, Anakin was ushered out of the room so they could start on surgery. Obi-Wan and Bail had taken Luke and Leia so he could focus on Padme. He stood on the other side of the glass wall while the medical droid worked, he had tried to argue his way into the room, but the droid had not allowed it.

To him, the procedure seemed to be going well. They had drained out quite a bit of blood from her lungs and were working on getting the hole closed up. He was really sure what was going on, but it seemed good enough to him. When the droid had finished closing everything back up, he came out to talk to Anakin. “How is she?” Anakin asked.

“I have done all I can for her. Her body had undergone extreme duress, and while I was able to get everything taken care of, it still may not be enough. It’s in her hands now,” The droid told him. On one hand it wasn’t the exact answer that he had wanted, but on the other hand, if it was up to Padme, she would make it through. She was too stubborn not to.

“Can I see her?” he asked.

“Go ahead.”

He went inside and refound his chair at her side, resting one of his hands on hers, “Please hang on. We need you Padme,” he told her, hoping it would somehow help. She was hooked up to an IV giving her both painkillers and a steady stream of bacta. She gave no sign to how she was doing, but he stayed at her side.

Bail and Obi-Wan returned to their spot behind the glass, and Anakin wondered for a moment where the twins were but trusted the two of them to have left them in safe hands. He knew he should let them in, let them see her, but the selfish part of him wanted her all to himself. He wanted to be the one there when she woke up. If something horrible happened he wanted to be there for her. Him. Not the others.

The time passed without much fuss. He had let Obi-Wan and Bail come in for a short while, both of them reassuring him that the twins were taken care of. They had both mostly focused on him, neither of them willing to face Padme’s mortality any more than he was, but when she had finally woken up, it had just been him.

A small cough/whimper caught his attention, she was definitely awake.  He was out of his chair and by her side as quickly as he could. She was wheezing, unable to catch a full breath, and she looked paler than before. “Padme?” he asked softly, calling for the medical droid as he did so.

“Ani?” Padme said, the name sounding like both a statement and a question all at once. She looked confused, lost almost. “Ani,” she said again a little more firmly. She tried to say more but all that came out were airy whispers, barely any sound escaping her lips. She tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the bed, tears rolling down her face. He grasped her hand in his, and he felt a weak squeeze in return, and she finally managed to focus long enough to meet his eyes. “Ani, take care of them. Please,” she pleaded, squeezing his hand as tight as she could in her weakened state.

“I will Angel, I promise,” Anakin told her, his own tears streaming down his face, the realization that he was losing her hitting him like a bulldozer.

“I love you, Ani,” she told him, the last words barely audible, but he knew what she was saying. She looked at him for a moment more, before her eyes fell shut, and her hand in his went limp, and just like that she was gone. The brightest star in the entire galaxy, just gone, extinguished. It didn’t burn up, it didn’t explode into a million little stars, it just disappeared, leaving nothing but two tiny little stars in its place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, I know this isn't great, but I had to get it out of me before I moved on. Also, sorry to let everybody down there at the end.


	5. Chapter 5

The scene in front of Obi-Wan wasn’t pretty. The small room was destroyed, looking like a tornado had swept through. All the medical equipment, the chair, and even the droid were in pieces scattered around the room: the only thing unharmed was the table that held Padme. In the center, sat Anakin. He sat on the ground, palms pressed into his eyes, and while he wasn’t making any sounds, he was sure he had already done his fair of yelling and crying. He felt a push from Anakin telling him to go away, but Obi-Wan figured if he didn’t intervene now the damage would be irreversible. 

Obi-Wan sat down beside Anakin, their shoulders almost touching. They sat like that for a moment, nobody speaking, while Obi-Wan tried to send calming and reassuring waves through the force. The memory of Satine falling limply into his arms playing over in his head. He remembered the pain he had felt, the pain he still felt today, and knew that Anakin would be taking it 10x harder than he did. “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Obi-Wan,” Anakin finally said, lifting his head from his hands and starring out in front of him. 

“I don‘t have any magic answer, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him, not wanting to give Anakin any ideas that could turn into a horrible plan. “All I know is that there are two little beings out there who need you, and Padme would never forgive you if you gave up on them now.” Anakin winced at Padme‘s name, turning his gaze down to the ground. 

“What if fail?" Anakin whispered, so quietly Obi-Wan almost didn’t hear him. 

“No matter what, I know you will love those children more than anything, and I know you will do whatever needs to be done. I can’t tell you what will happen exactly, and I it won‘t be easy, but I know those kids will grow up with a loving father, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matter,” Obi-Wan told him sincerely. 

“They need Padme. I can’t do this on my own," Anakin said, still quietly. 

“The fact that Padme won‘t be there is unfortunate. I can’t and won‘t argue with that, but they have you, and that will have to be enough," Obi-Wan said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s not going to be easy, Anakin. I don’t know what tomorrow holds for any of us, but I truly believe that if we put our faith in the force that we will come out the other side." Anakin said nothing but did nod slightly. “Come on, there are a couple people that want to see you.”

X  
Anakin stared at the two little beings in front of him, the most precious beings in the entire galaxy, his responsibilities. He put his hands in the little makeshift crib, both grabbing for his fingers. “We‘re going to be okay, kiddos," He told them, he hoped that was the truth, he would do everything in his power to make it true, but right now he wasn’t sure. He reached out into the force, feeling the twins presences greeting him, they were so bright in the force, and so completely intertwined with one another. He knew that hiding their force presence was going to be difficult to hide, but he was having a hard time finding the negatives right then. They were so pure and bright, and they reminded him of Padme in a way he couldn’t really understand. 

A small sound from Luke brought him out of his thought. He could have sworn they were both smiling up at him though he knew it was unlikely. “I swear they have been crying since we took them away earlier,” he heard a familiar voice. He turned to see Obi-Wan standing in the doorway, a small smile on his face. 

“I am sure I will get crying eventually," Anakin said turning back to the babies. 

“Oh, I am sure you will. If they are like either of their parents, they will be a handful," Obi-Wan said, walking over to stand beside the makeshift crib. Leia let out a small whine at the comment as if she understood what he was saying. Anakin put a comforting hand on her belly, her calming down immediately. “I am glad something good has come out of all of this evil." 

“Even considering I broke all the rules for this to happen?" Anakin asked, genuinely curious about Obi-Wan‘s opinion on the situation. 

“Honestly, I always knew something was going on. The degree surprised me, but not the fact you were together. Last week, I probably would have scolded you, but I don‘t have it in me right now,” Obi-Wan said honestly, the emotional exhaustion and turmoil were taking its toll on everybody

Anakin closed his eyes, memories of Padme flooding his brain. He tried to push them away, tried to focus on Luke and Leia, but the images wouldn‘t go away. He took a deep breath and tried to find his center in the force. “We were married," he said, the lakehouse on Naboo behind his eyes. 

“Married? Wow. Okay, I am shocked now. How long?” Obi-Wan asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

“Three years," Anakin told him, while Padme simultaneously told him that she was pregnant. He forced his eyes open and forced himself to focus on the twins, both looking up at him. He could feel the shock radiating off of Obi-Wan but thankfully he kept his questions down. 

“I have one more question,” Obi-Wan said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Did Ahsoka know?” 

“Not any more than you. I am sure she had her suspicions but I never told her," Anakin told him honestly.

“I see," Obi-Wan said nodding, as Bail walked in. 

The pair both nodded in acknowledgment towards him, as he came to stand beside him. He looked into the crib, smiling down at the babies. “They are precious," he said glancing up at Anakin, who just mumbled back a thank you. “Master Yoda asked me to come the two of you," he added. The pair nodded, each of them taking a baby, and followed Bail down the corridor. 

X

 

They followed Bail into the small conference room, joining Yoda and Shaak-Ti who were already seated at the table. They all looked like they hadn’t slept in weeks, and if Anakin had to guess that all felt that way as well and while the conversation was inevitable, they all still dreaded it. “Multiple orders of business, we need to discuss," Yoda said starting off the discussion.   
“The oldest two are plenty old enough to be Padawans," Shaak-Ti pointed out. “I would like permission to take them on as my Padawans, it would be nice to work on adding more Jedi to the ranks." 

“Permission granted,” Yoda said. “The middle two, with me I will take.” 

“Leaving me with the youngest?" Obi-Wan asked, obviously not thrilled with the idea. 

“You are probably the most nurturing of us all," Shaak-Ti said with a wicked smile, her pointed teeth giving her an almost sinister look. 

“Settled then, that is," Yoda said, before moving forward with the discussion. “The Skywalker‘s, we must decide.” 

“What about the Skywalkers," Anakin said stiffly. 

“Pregnant, Padme must still appear. Hidden safe, the children must be kept.” Yoda said

Anakin nodded his agreement. He didn’t love the idea of sending her home, her family thinks that Luke and Leia died with her, but he knew it was the best option for their safety.

“Hidden safe, the children must be kept as well,” Yoda said. 

“They need to be taken somewhere the Sith won’t sense their presence," Obi-Wan added. 

“I will take them to Tattooine. The Emperor knows I hate it there and won‘t expect me to go back," Anakin said, bouncing a restless Leia in his arms. 

Yoda thought on Anakin’s words for a moment before answering, “Split up they should be," Yoda said, the words sending an arrow straight through Anakin’s heart. His anger spiking dramatically. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before speaking, but before he could get a word out he heard Obi-Wan agreeing with Yoda, the anger spiking even more. 

“That is not an option," Anakin bit out. 

“Saver apart, they will be," Yoda argued. 

“I said that is not an option," Anakin snarled. “The Jedi have taken everything from me, and if you think for one moment that I will let you leave with one of my children you are dead wrong." The twins, sensing his anger, both started to whine, Leia restless in his arms. He took deep breaths trying to calm himself, and was while he was still upset, he was pleased when they settled down. They definitely were going to make him practice his control. 

“Nobody is taking children away from anyone,” Bail interjected, much to Anakin‘s relief. At least somebody was on his side. “Is there anything else we need to discuss?" 

Yoda did not look pleased, but he pressed forwards. “What to do do with the droids, our last order of business is,” Yoda said. 

“Artoo and Threepio?" Anakin asked he didn’t know what other droids could be up for discussion. 

“Yes," Obi-Wan answered for Yoda. 

“Well, I figured since they are my droids, that they would go with me," Anakin said. 

“That should be fine, though you should probably erase Threepio‘s memory," Obi-Wan said. Anakin simply nodded, having no intentions of actually erasing Threepio‘s memory. “Now, I think that is it." 

“Until the time is right, disappear we will," Yoda said, dismissing them all to prepare for their own individual journeys. 

X

 

Obi-Wan stood outside Padme‘s ship waiting for Anakin. He had tried to talk to him after the meeting, but he had still been angry and unwilling to talk. He saw Anakin make his way out of the Tantive 4, a baby carrier in one hand and another infant strapped to his chest, a hand keeping the baby in place. “Aren’t you supposed to have left already," Anakin growled as he lowered the ramp, and made his way into the ship. Obi-Wan ignored his attitude and followed him into the ship. 

“I wouldn’t let you run off without a farewell," Obi-Wan told him into the cabin, a crib already set up. 

“Why do you care?” Anakin asked, setting the carrier down and laying the baby on his chest, he could see now that it was Leia, in the crib before adding Luke to the crib. 

“Anakin, I didn’t agree with Yoda because of some personal vendetta. Believe it or not, I want what’s best for you and your family," Obi-Wan said.

Anakin considered his words for a moment, he could feel the sincerity, but it was still hard to not get upset. “They already lost their mother. They aren’t losing me too.” 

“And I would never force that on you. I don’t necessarily agree with your plan, but I would never take them away from you without your consent," Obi-Wan told him. 

“I gotta get going,” Anakin said, finishing up securing the babies and walking past Obi-Wan. 

“May the force be with you, all of you," Obi-Wan called after him, causing Anakin to stop walking. He turned on his heels and made his way back to Obi-Wan. He crossed his arms as to not totally let his guard down, but showed that he was willing to listen.

“May the force be with you as well, Master," he finally answered. 

Obi-Wan stood there, debating his next move. He wasn’t an openly feeling person; the order had ensured that, but he couldn’t let Anakin walk away, potentially forever without making sure he knew he cared. Finally, Obi-Wan made his mind up and pulled Anakin into a hug. It was awkward at first, Anakin was taller and broader than him, and without his immediate return of the hug, it felt like he was hugging a brick wall. On top of that, neither of them were really hug people, well he wasn’t at least, obviously, he didn’t know Anakin as well as he thought he did. After a moment though, Anakin did return the hug. “No matter what happens, you are my brother and I love you,” he said, not releasing Anakin until the words were out, not trusting himself to say the words to Anakin’s face. 

Anakin stiffed, not used to the open affection from is Master. He stood still at first, his face showing no emotion, but he swore there was wetness swirling in his blue eyes. “I love you,” he finally said, quietly, and down to his feet. 

“Take care of those two,” Obi-Wan said, moving the conversation away from the awkwardness, jerking his thumb back towards the twins. “Make Padme proud.” Anakin winced at Padme‘s name, before nodding, tears definitely swimming now. “And yourself." 

“You too Master," Anakin responded. They stood there for a moment, before Obi-Wan gave him a stiff nod, and left the ship. The two going their separate way. 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this part! Again, this was just some stuff I needed to get out of me before I could move on. I promise the next parts should be better. Still, hope you enjoyed!


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